


Pride? Nah, Dude, I’m All Out.

by WelshCakes68



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Bisexual Female Character, Drinking, F/F, First Meetings, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Pansexual Character, Pride, Sloppy Makeouts, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-05-13 18:55:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5713420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WelshCakes68/pseuds/WelshCakes68
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <strong>Anonymous:</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>(Prompt slash request if u ever get free). Stacie and beca go to pride where she crushes on some stranger and keeps blabbering about it all week - and they run into her 'accidentally' (Stacie's doing ;))</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pride? Nah, Dude, I’m All Out.

**Author's Note:**

> So, slight AU. Set during Pride after Beca's freshman year. Her and Stacie never joined the Bella's and are dorm mates.
> 
> This is my first ever prompt fulfillment, requested via Tumblr!
> 
> *WC68*

“Dude, I _really_ do not see why this colour thing is necessary. Remind me why I can’t I just wear black again?” Beca whined at Stacie who was checking herself out in the mirror one last time before they set off for the day.

“The flags with black in don’t really apply to you, Beca…unless you wanted to identify as a ‘Straight Ally’.” Stacie threw over her shoulder, carding her fingers through her long, brunette tresses, attempting to give it the tussled look she preferred.

Beca stomped over to Stacie’s side of the room and leaned on the wall next to the mirror Stacie was so closely examining herself in, crossing her arms and bracing one foot on the wall behind her.“ _I_ love straight people. They’re so…quaint.” Beca finished with a faint smirk, putting the inflection in her tone reminiscent of the one used when people spoke of cute kittens…other people, _not_ Beca, obviously.

“It’s not going to help you pick up girls though.” Stacie sang with a wink at the shorter girl, adjusting her cleavage as she apparently deemed necessary.

Beca rolled her eyes and tried not to blush as she attempted to valiantly ignore the way that Stacie man-handled herself in front of people in a way that Beca wouldn’t even do to herself if she were alone. “Number One: That’s only 50% of my target market and Number Two: That’s _not_ why I’m coming with you today. _Some of us_ have work tonight.” Beca replied smugly, non-verbally tacking onto the end, ‘…because _some of us_ didn’t fired after getting caught having sex in their manager’s office.’

Stacie eyeballed her at that, green eyes narrowing harshly before raising a challenging eyebrow at the silent addition that she could read from Beca’s tone and stare alone. “I know. You’re coming with me because you overestimated you’re ability to eat a Belly Buster Burger in one sitting. Tiny little thing like you never even stood a chance really…” Stacie mocked, poking the bear (the bear being Beca’s competitive nature, disgust at losing and size complex).

“I told you! It was my second lunch! Otherwise I would’ve-” Beca argued hotly, yet again going over the reason for her unexpected failure in their last wager that had led them to this.

“Yeah, yeah, cry me a river, Mitchell. Are we going or not? And of course the question is rhetorical because you’re fucking going.” Stacie answered for her, opening the door to their dorm in preparation to leave campus for the day.

“Pride!” Beca sniffed disdainfully and the tone and demeanour in which the word was spat made Stacie expect it to be followed up with a proclamation of ‘Bah! Humbug!’ “I must be all out of it if I’m actually going to the damn thing. I don’t get why you like it so much, Stace. It’s so over the top! A bunch of touchy-feely drunks that don’t know the definition of ‘personal space’, rubbing up on each other all day and spouting crap about love like they’re not all as secretly jaded as I am on inside.” Beca groused as she rolled her eyes at anything that was apparently even in the same area code as the word ‘fun’. “Do I really have to-” Beca started with a wheedling tone as she turned to Stacie hopefully.

“Yes! You _really_ do!” Stacie answered without letting the shorter girl finish her question.

“Fine!” Beca huffed in aggravation before looking down at herself, face falling into despair once more at the sight that met her gaze. “But pink!” Beca bemoaned. “Why does it have to be fucking pink?!” Beca lamented with disgust, pulling at the magenta tank top with revulsion written clearly on her face.

“You’re not exactly dolled up like Malibu Barbie at the beach, Beca.” Stacie argued, gesturing to the barest sliver of pink visible beneath the purple plaid shirt, the outfit completed with a pair of tight, dark blue jeans.

“It’s still more pink than I care to be seen wearing in public. Why can’t I have your colours?” Beca stropped, stomping her foot before she could stop herself, looking at Stacie’s colours in obvious envy.

“Because you’re bisexual, not polyamorous?” Stacie answered simply though with an inflection on the end as though it were actually a question, adding a touch more scarlet lipstick to go with the most ridiculously short, blue jean shorts that Beca had ever seen in her life and a black and red corset that left her ample chest spilling out over the top in a display that would be deemed grossly indecent on any other day of the year.

“I’m considering a change in sexuality.” Beca lamented, pulling uncomfortably at the material of her pilfered vest, unimpressed.

“It’s not the first time a girl has said that after seeing me.” Stacie teased with an exaggerated wink, grabbing Beca’s wrist and pulling her from the room before the smaller girl had a chance to hold them up further with yet more complaints.

“Wait a minute!” Beca balked, digging her heels into the cheap, dorm room carpet though Stacie’s larger stature won out and the pair continued to move forward. “Polyamory isn’t even technically a _sexuality_! I could wear those colours with you!”

“No time to change!” Stacie announced with a ring of finality to her tone, locking their door behind them while Beca huffed. “Besides, you’re pretty much an asexual bisexual. You never like anyone anyway, let alone multiple people at once; you couldn’t handle these colours, B.” Stacie teased over her shoulder. Beca opened her mouth to retort hotly but didn’t get a chance to say anything as Stacie pulled her harshly towards the stairwell, wanting to get them a good vantage point for the parade. 

*~*~*

“Loosen up, Becs.” Stacie yelled directly into her ear, bobbing slightly as she danced to the loud street music, red solo cup in hand. The sudden heat of her breath on Beca’s ear made her shiver at the tickle and push her friend away immediately, face irritated.

“This whole crowd is more than loose enough for me and for them.” Beca answered back loudly, casting a critical and judgemental eye over the crowd slowly filling the street.

“This day is going to be _really_ long if you plan on being a snarky bitch the entire time.” Stacie replied, slinging an arm around Beca’s shoulder and pulling her closer into a side hug, the gesture a complete juxtaposition to her words though Beca didn’t take what she’d said the wrong way, harsh but light-hearted dialogue being the cornerstones to the two brunette’s relationship.

“What about just the majority of the time?” Beca asked cheekily, looking up from her cramped position under Stacie’s bust.

“Look around, Lil’ Buddy.” Stacie started with a shit-eating grin, daring Beca to react to the short joke. “It’s a beautiful, Georgian summer day…” Stacie declared, tipping her head back and spreading her arms wide, as if embracing the atmosphere of the day.

“…it’s too hot…” Beca interrupted, flapping the sides of her shirt in an attempt to circulate a breeze over her skin.

“…the birds are singing…” Stacie tried again, arm sweeping wide at the sky.

“…I hate birds. Feathery, little disease balls…” Beca added disdainfully.

“…the music’s playing…” Stacie added, tugging on Beca’s ear slightly, careful to avoid the multitude of piercings that resided there.

“…this music is shit!” Beca argued, crossing her arms, unimpressed.

“Mitchell!” Stacie barked, starting to snap at Beca’s negativity. “Look the fuck around, dude! It’s like, the D-Day of ignorance and homophobic, narrow-mindedness. Surely you can find something to be grateful for today?” Stacie asked before turning back to the road and the float fast approaching them decorated in green and gold, the contribution from the University that Stacie had been eagerly anticipating all morning.

Beca had to concede that Stacie had a point…concede to herself at least, not out loud. Taking a deep, bracing breath, Beca turned to watch the float’s approach, not wanting to alienate the one person on campus that tolerated her. _‘Well, at least the only one in Barden today.’_ Beca allowed, thinking of Jesse and Benji whom were out of town for something with that acapella group that Jesse sang in and Benji was apeshit for.

Beca clapped her hands a couple of times, following the example of the cheering crowd around her, if not a tad more reserved, as the float got closer. That’s when she saw her; quite literally the most beautiful girl that Beca had ever laid eyes on before. She was on the top tier of BU float coming down the main strip, laughing and dancing with a gaggle of other women that Beca only vaguely noticed on her periphery as the procession seemed to slide past her and Stacie in slow motion. She had red hair that was tied back in a neat ponytail though the way she was dancing made Beca think that it wouldn’t stay that way for long, the green fabric curtaining the background of the float contrasting the shade perfectly. The dancing redhead was wearing a pink bikini with a blue sarong wrapped firmly around her swaying hips and she wore obnoxiously yellow sunglasses that rested perfectly on an elegant nose, the outfit topped off by a blue and yellow scarf tied on her wrist that was held over her head as she danced.

 _‘I think pink is my new favourite colour.’_ Beca thought to herself dumbly, a vacant smile sliding onto her face before she caught herself. _‘Ewwww. Did I really just think that?’_ Beca asked herself, self-disgust filling her for a moment until the girl started to jump up and down emphatically, waving her arms in exuberance and Beca’s eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the small, pink bikini top struggling to do its job. _‘Yes. Yes you did and you completely stand by that statement, Mitchell.’_ She thought numbly, completely ignoring Stacie’s further attempts to energise her.

*~*~*

“I can’t help but notice that you seem to have _perked_ up slightly since this morning.” Stacie commented suspiciously, watching as her shorter friend walked on her tiptoes, attempting to look over the heads of the crowd in the bar.

“Yeah.” Beca replied distractedly, whipping her head around when a redheaded frat boy squeezed passed them with hands full of beer bottles before her face fell in disappointment.

“Care to elaborate as to why?” Stacie pressed, voice expectant though Beca bit her lip and remained silent. Stacie huffed and tried again, lifting a hand to squeeze Beca’s shoulder as she leaned in to ensure she was heard. “It looks like you’re looking for someone. Has Jesse text you to say that him and Benji decided to come after all?” The taller girl asked, a little thrown by Beca’s behaviour. She could handle an unenthusiastic Beca, a sarcastic Beca and even a hyped-up Beca, having had experience with all of these ‘versions’ of her best friend but _this_ was an unfamiliar variation of the girl that she was unaccustomed to; anxious-excited Beca.

“What? No, Jesse and Benji still aren’t back in town until tomorrow.” Beca answered, navy blue eyes swivelling around the room again. Stacie was at a loss; Beca could tolerate only a hand full of people and other than Stacie herself, none of them were set to come today so she had no clue who else Beca could be looking for.

Stacie was biting her lip, considering another tack to take with her friend when she saw Beca’s eyes swivel upwards and her breath visibly catch in her chest. Stacie turned curiously and saw a gorgeous redhead leaning over the balcony on the second floor, smiling widely as she conversed with a skinny black haired boy with glasses. Stacie had to fight to contain her smirk as she looked back to Beca with complete understanding now to see that the DJ hadn’t averted her gaze at all and was still staring up at the girl with something akin to awe.

“It’s too crowded in here!” Stacie shouted as she grabbed Beca’s skinny wrist, getting the other girl’s attention finally. Stacie watched the shorter girl’s jaw setting slightly, clearly preparing herself to argue should Stacie suggest a change of venue and Stacie tried not to smirk victoriously at her now confirmed correct assumption. “Let’s go upstairs!”

Beca’s eyes widened at the suggestion, subconsciously licking her lips before flicking her eyes up to the redhead again. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, dude. Come on.” Stacie answered, linking her hands with Beca’s, a move the shorter girl only got comfortable with after months of friendship, and pulling her confidently over to the staircase. _‘Eurgh! Every other goddamn word out of my mouth now is ‘dude’. What the fuck, Mitchell?!’_ Stacie thought to herself, criticising the affect that the shorter girl had had on her vocabulary in under a year of friendship.

“Do you think they’ll let us up there?” Beca asked, pressing closer to Stacie to make herself heard over the din of the crowd. “Upstairs is, like, VIP in here, right?” Beca asked, recognising the bar from previous nights out in the city the two had had but not overly familiar with it due to their normally strict stance on ID’s.

“Babe, you are _with_ a VIP.” Stacie retorted smarmily, tugging on the corset slightly as they approached the two guys manning the rope at the base of the stairs, swaying her hips with a predatory gleam in her eye.

*~*~*

Stacie tried hard not to groan as she checked the time on her phone. They had been upstairs for nearly an hour now and Beca _still_ did not look like she intended to make a move on Ginger Snap anytime soon. As soon as they had made it upstairs, Stacie had pushed Beca to stand at the balcony near the redhead before announcing that she was going to get them some drinks. The Engineer watched eagerly from the bar, actually going so far as to ignore the bartender a couple of times to give Beca a chance to work up her nerve but the little pigmy coward had wimped out, pointedly looking away from the redhead in an over-the-top effort to not be caught staring. Stacie thought that this was a shame as she was certain that she had spotted Red eyeing up Beca a couple of times over her companion’s shoulder.

Stacie knew from prior experience that she couldn’t force Beca to approach someone she was interested in as it normally resulted in Beca becoming self-conscious and shutting down completely, often leading her to storm out of wherever they were in embarrassment. Stacie had learned that ignoring Beca’s attraction was always the best approach to take, though she had to admit that the number of times the girl actually _had_ these attractions were few and far between so Stacie’s experience with them was admittedly minimal.

The taller girl was just considering hitting on the guy talking with Chloe just so she could rope Beca into being her ‘wingwoman’ when the redhead stood from the couch she’d been occupying with her small group of friends and made for the bar.

“Becs.” Stacie spoke for the first time in a while, tapping the shorter girl on the elbow impatiently as her eyes followed the object of her friend’s infatuation.

“Yeah?” Beca asked, looking down and picking at a thread on her shirt with a frustrated expression on her face, clearly even more pissed with herself than Stacie was at her inability to make a move.

“Go get me a drink.” Stacie commanded imperiously.

Beca lifted her head at that, annoyance now directed at the other girl. “Go get yourself a drink.” Beca groused, balking at her friends impudence.

“It’s your turn. Don’t be a cheapskate, Mitch.” Stacie countered, shaking her glass pointedly in Beca’s face.

“You’ve not even finished the fucking drink you have!” Beca argued back, blowing a few stray hairs from her face whilst huffing indignantly at the order.

 _‘Fucking Hell! You never make this easy, do you Mitchell?’_ Stacie lamented to herself with an eye roll, throwing the glass back and finishing the contents of the obscenely large novelty glass in one. “There! Margarita…please?!” Stacie finished a challenging cock of her head, staring the shorter girl down.

“Bossy Bitch.” Beca mumbled under her breath, confused by Stacie’s uncharacteristic behaviour but not willing to argue further and arguably _be_ a cheapskate by refusing to repay Stacie for the rounds of drinks she’d already bought them. Beca huffed and snatched the glass from her hand, slinging back the contents of her own bottle before storming over towards the bar.

Stacie could tell by Beca’s posture the exact moment the shorter girl realised who was stood at the bar. Stacie bit her lip and observed semi-patiently as Beca seemed to hesitate, eying up the empty space down the other side of the bar.

“Come on, Beca.” Stacie quietly encouraged, chewing on her straw from a previous drink in agitation. “Talk to her.” Stacie whispered, staring intently into the back of Beca’s head, as if willing the words to penetrate her skull and take root in her brain.

Slowly, Beca stumbled forward and raised a hesitant arm up to rest next to the girl on the countertop.

*~*~*

 _‘Holy crap! She smells amazing.’_ Beca thought to herself, closing her eyes as she took in the light vanilla fragrance coming from the girl, opening her eyes suddenly when she felt her body sway closer without her permission to do so, as if wanting to lean in and take a deep inhale of the girl’s hair. _‘That would be creepy as fuck, Mitchell. I emphatically order you **not** to do that.’_

She was so busy giving herself a stern talking to that she didn’t notice the other girl spin around quickly and right into her, an icy blast hitting her square in the chest and making her squeak in shock and surprise.

“Ah! I’m sorry!” The girl yelled suddenly, face contorted in horror, cerulean blue eyes wide as she put down the now half-empty glasses in her hands.

“Holy shit!” Beca swore, unbuttoning her outer shirt and airing it out, pulling the tank top away from her body in disgust where it now clung to her, sticky and unpleasant.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking. Here.” The redhead offered, grabbing a dishrag from the bar counter and began to enthusiastically pat Beca down.

The brunette nearly swallowed her own tongue at the warm sensation of the girl’s hands sweeping over her chest with the towel, feeling colour immediately flood her cheeks. She turned her head quickly to the side to see if Stacie was seeing this or not but the leggy brunette was stood nonchalantly near the balcony, face turned pointedly away. _‘If Stacie was seeing this she’d be wagging her eyebrows at me, not turning away.’_ Beca concluded to herself before turning back to the redhead, not realising that the other brunette was actually turned away so that Beca couldn’t see her laughing heartily at the situation and her dorm mate’s expression.

The girl in front of her was still stuttering out a string of embarrassed apologies, eyes directed at Beca’s chest as she tried to mop up the liquid, hands setting Beca’s skin on fire. Beca quivered on the spot when her crushes hand swiped, even through multiple layers, over her nipple. “Geez. You know, you could at least buy a girl a drink before you feel her up.” Beca froze as soon as the words left her mouth, not believing that she’d actually said them.

The girl stilled and so did her hands, blue eyes swivelling to meet Beca’s and her mortified expression slowly bloomed into a small, cheeky grin at Beca’s words. “Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s…so.” Beca answered, trying valiantly _not_ to roll her eyes at herself. _‘Come on, Beca. Don’t fuck this up.’_ Beca thought to herself as she let out a small cough.

“Hmmmm…well, technically I _did_ give you a drink…just, you know, rather than in a glass, you had it down the front of you.” The girl mocked, throwing the dish rag back onto the counter, not breaking Beca’s stare for even a second to do so.

“Yeah, not _quite_ the same thing, is it?” Beca queried superiorly, raising an eyebrow at the redhead, a small smile forming on her face as she wiped the small amount of excess liquid that had escaped the redhead’s attention from her chest.

“Well, it certainly conveys interest. I’ve gone to all the effort and cost of sufficiently wetting your shirt.” The taller girl teased, stare travelling rather unsubtly down Beca’s front. “Shame it’s not white.” She commented almost absentmindedly, throwing Beca a mock-sultry wink for good measure.

“I think if I were wearing white, that would make me straight, right?” Beca queried, tilting her head as she unconsciously puffed out her chest like a proud peacock at the other girl’s blatant examination.

“Well, there’s a couple of other flags that use white but since you don’t know them I’ll just be grateful that you’re apparently not straight, based on your colour choice.” The redhead commented and suddenly Beca was grateful that Stacie had insisted upon this ridiculous colour coordination idea. She was also glad that Stacie had just so happened (or not just so happened as the case may be) to have gone through some other flag colours after getting to the bar. Due to this, the DJ surmised that the bikini-clad girl in front of her was pansexual which meant Beca actually stood a chance with her…at least in terms of gender and orientation; in terms of looks, intelligence, humour and general class of human being was still largely up for debate.

“Grateful, huh?” Beca queried, letting a smug smirk crawl onto her face.

The redhead leaned forward at that, her face stopping only a couple of inches from her own, close enough to feel the air expelled from her mouth dance over Beca’s cheekbone. “Infinitely.” She whispered huskily and Beca couldn’t stop herself from fidgeting and letting out a loud swallow. “So, you’re saying that if I buy you a drink, I can try that again? Without the cover of an accidental spillage?” The redhead mirrored Beca’s previous smirk back at her and the brunette felt her centre of gravity shift slightly.

Beca took a steadying breath, licking her lips and feeling her confidence soar when Chloe’s eyes darted to follow the action with rapt attention, biting her own lip in response as her gaze darkened. Beca took a small step closer, causing Chloe to straighten to stop them from colliding. “I’m saying you’ll be that much closer…” Beca husked back, feeling her confidence slowly rise at seemingly having as much of an effect on this girl as she had on her.

Chloe actually seemed impressed with Beca’s smooth flirtation which was fair as so was Beca herself.

 _‘What a time to learn not to bumble through a conversation.’_ Beca praised silently, high-fiving herself mentally.

“Well, ideally, I like to know a girl’s name before I feel her up, drink or not.” Chloe announced, lifting a hand to grasp the still wet material at the bottom of Beca’s tank top, the back of her fingers skimming Beca’s abdomen as the redhead rubbed the material between her thumb and fingers.

“B…Beca.” She managed to get out with only a minor stumble at the electrifying sensation of the other girls skin on her own.

“I’m Chloe.” She replied confidently, pulling the material slightly to bring Beca closer still as she tilted her head to the side.

“Yes…” Beca agreed somewhat lamely, coughing lightly as she tentatively raised her own hand to test the material of Chloe’s sarong. “…you are.”

“I’m glad you agree.” Chloe beamed and somehow knowing her name made it shine that much brighter to Beca.

*~*~*

Beca didn’t do this. She didn’t make out with strangers in public on the first date, sat on a couch in the middle of a bar for all to see. _‘Date? Date? This isn’t a ‘date’, Beca. You perved on her while she danced on a float then let her spill a drink on you a few hours later. That does not a date make!’_ Beca corrected herself but couldn’t really be too concerned when she ever so was comfortably buzzed.

“You are…so beautiful, Chlo.” Beca announced dreamily when they pulled apart for air and she sounded to her own ears as if she were swooning which was entirely possible considering the amount of alcohol she’d drunk.

Chloe giggled happily, drunkenly, before hooking her thumbs around Beca’s jaw. “Beautiful?” Chloe asked with a smile before kissing her again. “Beautiful? Who even says that anymore?” Chloe asked with a chuckle before peppering kisses to the side of her neck.

“Oh, sorry. I guess I, like, sound like an old man or something.” Beca apologised, shaking her head at her inability to be cool in the face of perfection…like, as in the actual perfect face hovering an inch from her own.

“Mmmmm.” Chloe hummed happily, lips rising to Beca’s cheek. “It’s not a criticism. It’s adorable.” Chloe soothed and Beca could feel the other girl’s beaming smile pressed to her skin. “You’re like a cute, grumpy old man.” Chloe continued and pouted slightly when Beca’s response was to pull away with an unimpressed look. “You’re like the old man from _Up_!” Chloe suddenly shouted, eyes wide with recognition as if she had _finally_ realised who Beca had reminded her of the whole time they’d been together.

“Wow. Talk dirty to me, Red.” Beca deadpanned, shaking her head which caused Chloe let out another string of giggles. Beca found that she couldn’t even stay fake-mad at the sound as she felt the resulting butterflies they set off in her midsection.

“It’s really not a bad thing.” Chloe continued conversationally, her mouth pressed to Beca’s still, the words floating directly into her mouth and it felt intimate and playful in a way that Beca was unaccustomed to. “Less _old man_ and more _old school_. Classic.” Chloe concluded with a reverence to her stare.

“I’ll take that.” Beca claimed quickly, somehow knowing that Chloe would continue onto another no doubt unflattering tangent if she let the redhead carry on.

“Good.” Chloe purred, kissing her deeply yet again and Beca struggled to remember anything else for a long moment. “You’re still cute as hell though.” Chloe whispered against her lips, eyes glowing with mischief, seemingly enjoying teasing Beca almost as much as Beca enjoyed kissing Chloe.

Beca growled playfully and bit Chloe’s lip, enjoying the notable wriggle of the other girl’s hips next to her own on the couch from where they were pressed close together. “I. Am. Not. Cute.” Beca warned, narrowing her eyes in a particularly poor attempt at intimidation, relying heavily on the tattoos, piercings and eyeliner to make up the deficit.

“You are so cute.” Chloe argued stubbornly, kissing the tip of Beca’s nose and making Beca huff out a rapid breath through her nose at the tickling sensation, her face scrunching adorably.

“Not.” Beca argued though her voice sounded more like a whine now with little real conviction left in it.

“You’re like a kitten…” Chloe started and Beca was opening her mouth to argue against the point vehemently when Chloe began to struggle up into a kneeling position, “…in a sock…” she continued as she swung a leg over Beca’s hips so that she was sat in the brunette’s lap, straddling her, “…wearing a teenie-tiny beanie hat!” Chloe finished in a sing-song voice but with a challenging leer, chests now pressed flushed against each other.

Beca swallowed harshly as she suddenly became hypnotised by the dip of Chloe’s collarbone, inches from her face, left bare by the bikini she was wearing. Chloe shifted slightly and when Beca lifted her gaze to meet the other girl’s she was irked by the smugness she saw there. Not thinking for once before acting, Beca curled a hand in Chloe’s hair harshly and tugged her head down for their lips to meet again solidly, her other hand raising to squeeze the top of Chloe’s thigh tightly through the thin sorong tied there. The redhead let out a surprised moan and pressed herself closer to Beca, nearly burying the smaller girl in the massive sofa cushions. “Your moans don’t suggest that I’m merely _cute_.” Beca snarked after ending the kiss suddenly, enjoying Chloe’s now flushed and panting state.

“You seem to be taking ‘cute’ as an insult, Kitten.” Chloe retorted, not stopping at Beca’s indignant squawk at the new nickname. “You can be cute and sexy and hot, all at the same time.” Chloe explained patiently, stroking a gentle thumb through Beca’s hair in a loving gesture that was on the opposite side of the continuum to the heated embrace they had shared only seconds before. “Exhibit A.” Chloe whispered proudly before pressing a kiss to the centre of Beca’s forehead. Beca struggled not to purr and live up to her new (only somewhat) detested nickname. “You are kind of like a kitten though, aren’t you? Absolutely fluffy, tiny and adorable, trying to put this air of indifference and aloofness out there but secretly you just want to be played with.” Chloe hummed as she skimmed the tip of her nose on an expedition along the dips and peaks of Beca’s face, over her cheeks, down her neck and up the bridge of her nose on a continual, addictive loop.

“I don’t think I’ve played aloof with you at all, have I?” Beca challenged with an eyebrow raise.

Chloe smile went crooked, hair falling into her face slightly before she pushed it back over her ear without thought as she looked down at Beca contemplatively. “No, not with me.” Chloe confirmed, biting her lip slightly. “But I was watching you since you got here and that was just the impression I got.”

Beca’s eyes widened at that, intrigued by the redhead’s confession. “You were _watching_ me?” Beca asked, tilting her head to consider Chloe slyly.

“Yep.” Chloe nodded without shame, hand lifting so that her thumb could run down the multitude of piercings in Beca’s ear.

“Well…” Beca drew out, lifting Chloe’s hand so that she could press a quick kiss to the small ladybug tattoo there before she could over think it and stop herself, “if I’m a kitten, then you’re a puppy.” Beca smirked and Chloe giggled at the assessment. “All big eyes and excitable nature and all-round adorableness. A playful little goofball.” Beca concluded as she tried not to smirk up at said goofball.

“I’ll take that.” Chloe replied before pressing forward to kiss Beca deeply again, wrapping a hand around Beca’s neck as she wrapped her arms tightly around Chloe’s waist.

*~*~*

Stacie’s phone began to vibrate and she pulled it out of its storage space between her cleavage, the guy she was talking to looking like all of his Christmas’ had come at one as she struggled not to expose any areola. When she finally managed to get her phone out she realised that it was her alarm going off.

“Shit.” She muttered to herself, suddenly remembering that Beca had set this alarm on her phone and what it meant.

“So, you wanna’ go somewhere, Suzie?” The guy asked brazenly, which was fine with Stacie as she didn’t much go for coy anyway though he directed the comment at her tits and got her name wrong; Stacie only needed two strikes to declare someone as ‘out’.

“Yeah, I do have to go actually. Thanks for asking, Steve.” Stacie answered, knowing that his name was Stan.

“Uh, it’s Stan…” He corrected, brow scrunching in annoyance.

“Right. Bye.” She brushed off, sounding bored as she walked over to the side of the room she had last seen Beca in. Her eyes widened as she saw the redhead perched comfortably and straddling her dorm mate’s lap, the two sharing a heated kiss. She noticed immediately as she wandered over that the redhead was now wearing Beca’s plaid shirt though only a couple of the buttons were done up and they didn’t appear to be done correctly.

In a completely non-voyeuristic way, Stacie was happy to observe Beca be so carefree and open with someone, anyone, let alone someone new to her. Her dorm mate was almost standoffishly guarded around new people which made it problematic in terms of finding ‘company of that sort’, though Beca never seemed particularly bothered by it normally. _‘She’s sure as hell making up for it now.’_ Stacie thought to herself with a wry shake of her head.

When she was stood next to the arm of the couch the pair were fused together on, she was faced with a slight dilemma. The alarm on her phone had been set by Beca specifically to account for the unlikely possibility that Beca’s phone died or she was body-snatched and forgot about work. Tonight was supposed to be a big deal for Beca as, after months of paying her due’s, stacking CD’s, getting Luke lunch and being the station errand girl, Luke had _finally_ trusted her enough to put her in charge of the booth and run the show for the night…this night…tonight. And, fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you looked at it, for once, Beca looked like work wasn’t the predominant most thing on her mind.

Stacie sighed and sunk down to her knees next to Beca, coughing quietly to get her attention while the shorter girl rather enthusiastically sex-kissed the redhead, lips sealed to hers like she was an oxygen tank in the middle of the ocean.

“Bec.” Stacie spoke clearly over the boom of the music. Nothing. “Beca!” She repeated, louder this time to the same result. Nothing. She leaned over and began to shake the girls arm. “Beca!” To the shorter girl’s credit, she _did_ respond this time, lifting the hand that was wrapped around the other girl’s waist to face palm Stacie away from her without breaking the kiss. “Nice.” Stacie muttered, debating her next move as she glared at the pair whom were completely unconcerned with her presence.

“As ecstatic as I am that my little Bi-Bro has gotten well and truly immersed in the spirit of Pride, we have to go!” Stacie shouted now, leaning in close enough so that she could be undeniably heard over the din and felt justified when the duo both jumped slightly at her volume, even if they only sluggishly separated by an inch or so and no more.

“Go?” Beca asked confused, her head lolling to the side to meet Stacie’s gaze though it was levelled over her shoulder instead. “Go where?” She questioned, smacking her lips slightly. _‘Frenching like that without sufficient hydration breaks will do that to you, Mitchell.’_ Stacie thought with a disbelieving shake of her head as she observed just how blown Beca’s pupils were and just how momentously wasted she was.

“Yeah…where?” The redhead asked with a pout, looking at Beca accusingly, expression uncomprehending of _why_ her tiny playmate would possibly leave.

Stacie could admit that this girl was _smoking_ hot and, in Beca’s defence, her chest was pretty much still on display and in Beca’s face though her chivalrous roommate was mindfully considering her hand placement carefully, despite her drunken state. However, Stacie could not help but feel annoyed when Beca immediately buckled to the tone of the other girl’s voice and the look in her eyes when she held said girl tighter, shaking her head firmly. “Nowhere.” Beca cooed softly, lifting a hand to card through the girls red hair reverently, smile still slightly vacant as she bit her lip before her stare got some of its usual steel back. “Executive decision from me: nowhere. I am the captain of my plane and the pilot of my destiny.” Beca rambled nonsensically before pulling the other girl’s mouth back to her own.

“Work, Becs! You have work tonight, remember?” Stacie pleaded, shaking Beca’s arm urgently with enough force to make the redhead sway slightly too.

“Meh.” Beca replied without concern, mindlessly lifting a hand to pat Stacie on the side of the head fondly though with decidedly more force than the little pygmy realised. “You know…” Beca started, resting her chin on the redheads sternum and smiling up at her dopily, “you only had to wear yellow and pink today cause those Baby Blues are _ri-donkey-lous_.” Beca enthused with a slur, burying her face in the redhead’s neck as the girl above her began to giggle.

“Meh?!” Stacie repeated with more than a bit of frustration in her tone. “Really? Becs, it’s taken you months to get the opportunity to run the booth and Luke finally gives it to you and you say ‘meh’?” Stacie asked, pulling at her own hair slightly in frustration, her arsenal of ideas running low as it was usually Beca peeling her off of some random’s lap to get them home rather than the other way around.

“Meh.” Beca repeated again, blasé to the nth degree.

“He’s going to fire you if you bail!” Stacie snapped hotly, starting to panic that Beca could lose her job, a job she loved, because Stacie had insisted she come out today.

The girl in Beca’s lap seemed to come out of her stupor at that, sitting back slightly, ignoring the groan the brunette let out at the new ‘gaping distance’ distance between them. “Wait! Your job? Don’t you, like, need that?” The redhead panted, looking down at Beca in genuine concern and Stacie was suddenly hopeful that she might have won Red over to her cause which would hopefully make it easier to make Beca see sense.

“Only so I can afford to, like, eat and stuff.” Beca argued back weakly, looking supremely unconcerned as she leaned forward again expectantly.

Stacie wanted to cheer when the redhead turned her cheek, face sobering. “No! Your friend is right. You’ve got to go.” Red announced, pointing towards the door imperiously and accidentally smacking Stacie in the face in the process, looking mortified and apologising immediately through her hands now held over her mouth in shock.

Beca laughed uproariously at the blunder once she’d registered surprise rather than pain on her friend’s face, snorting in amusement at the expression Stacie wore but stopped immediately when she registered her girl’s words. “But I dun’ wanna’!” She whined, turning away and burying her head between the sofa cushions. _‘Which, disgusting Beca. Don’t you realise what people **do** on these things?’_ Stacie questioned herself with disdain. _‘Well, actually, maybe you do…’_ Stacie conceded considering the decidedly heated make-out session she had needed to stop to get her friend conversing with her at all.

“But you will, Kitten.” The girl cooed confidently, stroking a gentle hand over Beca’s face which bordered on reverent.

Beca was so wasted she didn’t even look to see Stacie’s reaction which was one of wide-eyed disbelief merged with horror, like she’d just been told the E! Network was going off the air at the cutesie nickname Beca had earned and, was even more surprisingly, tolerating.

“And you know why?” Ginger asked, raising an exaggerated eyebrow, waiting until Beca re-emerged from the sanctuary of the cushions. “Because I asked nicely and I always get what I want.” The girl whispered loudly into the ear nearest Stacie, finishing up by biting Beca’s earlobe roughly and making the hips beneath her own jerk forcefully.

“How is that even fair?” Beca lamented in annoyance, lifting an agitated hand to rub over her own face.

“I don’t play fair either.” The other girl husked breathily, pressing them closer one last time before standing unsteadily on her feet, unhooking Beca’s arms from around her hips and only silently laughing when the shorter girl buried her face in Chloe’s stomach and groaned in protest.

“Thanks.” Stacie whispered to the girl while Beca continued to sulk below them. “She really does love this job and…I was struggling with her. Uhhhh, I’m Stacie, by the way?” Stacie finished, not having caught the redhead’s name yet.

“Chloe.” The girl smiled dopily, one hand dropping to subconsciously twine her fingers in Beca’s hair. “It’s fine. I don’t want her getting fired.” Chloe opened her mouth to say more but then simply hiccoughed loudly, covering her mouth sheepishly with a quiet, “Excuse me.”

“Right.” Stacie smiled distractedly, crouching down to grab Beca’s shoulders. “Come on then, Becs. Here we go!” Stacie sang in her ‘Mario Voice’, hoping to get Beca to lift up her head to laugh, which she did.

“I don’t want to leave her though, Stace.” Beca moaned, her little face scrunching into a heart-breaking expression that Stacie had never seen before and was ill-equipped to deal with. “I mean,” Beca cut herself of by giggling before slumping backwards in her seat to gesture up at Chloe’s form proudly, “look at her! She’s so…I mean…wow!” Beca smiled vacantly at Chloe who rubbed the back of her neck slightly, seemingly embarrassed at Beca’s incomplete praise.

“Yeah, Bec. Let’s-” Stacie started while hooking a hand around Beca’s elbow but was cut-off by the shorter girl who seemingly had not heard her at all over the sound of her own gushing over Chloe.

“And her smile! Babe! Smile for my friend, please?” Beca asked, swiping a thumb over the hand that still held Chloe’s. Chloe looked down at Beca and seemingly couldn’t help but smile, turning coyly away from Beca and right towards Stacie. “See! SEE! Goddamn. If that is not the most beautiful thing I have ever seen…” Beca sighed happily, eyes closing sleepily before her whole body slumped.

“Beca Mitchell!” Stacie yelled, making Beca’s head shoot up again. “Do not fall asleep! I need to get you to work, now! We’re already _seriously_ pushing it here, Dude!” Stacie chastised, already knowing that she would need to make a stop to get the girl coffee and some food if she was to sound at least halfway sober over the airwaves.

“Right!” Beca nodded but did not move.

Stacie was about to bark at her again when Chloe interrupted. “Did she give you the Dude-Bug or did you give her the Dude-Bug?” Chloe asked suddenly, looking at Stacie seriously.

Stacie looked at her and was starting to get frazzled at the losing side of the drunk to sober people ratio she was now in. “Her to me. Definitely her to me.” Stacie muttered, absently noting Chloe nod seriously as though she was committing her answer to memory. “NOW, BECA!” Stacie yelled again, dragging the small girl forcefully to her feet when she had made no further attempt to move after a full two second wait.

“Yeah…” Beca droned, at least shaking her head in an attempt to stave off her sleepiness before gazing up at Chloe, looking like the goddamn ‘heart-eyes emoji’ once again. “You could come with?” Beca offered serenely, looking up at Chloe hopefully and it made Stacie feel slightly uncomfortable to see how hard Beca was falling for this girl that they knew nothing about, worrying that her friend was setting herself up for heartache.

“I can’t.” Chloe pouted and Stacie bit her lip when Beca’s face started to fall. “My roommate lost her keys; she’s coming here to get mine now.”

“You could call her and…” Beca started hopefully but didn’t finish the thought before Chloe was stroking her face.

“She’s already left to come here and her phone died. She had to borrow the cab driver’s phone just to text me.” Chloe stated sadly, caressing Beca’s cheek softly.

“Oh. Okay.” Beca whispered, looking down forlornly, looking like a kicked puppy.

Stacie had stopped drinking an hour ago in a rare display of responsibility so that she could look after Beca for once and her defensive mode was kicking in, not certain if this sugar-and-spice act that Strawberry Shortcake was putting out was for real or not.

“It’s not goodbye, silly. Give me your number.” Chloe demanded as she pulled out a cell phone from her purse.

Beca finally stopped looking like a brunette Puss in Boots, smiling as she happily took the phone from Chloe’s outstretched hand.

 _‘Not going to give out your number, Red?’_ Stacie thought to herself, narrowing her eyes slightly at the two of them.

Beca smiled widely as she handed Chloe’s cell back to her and gave her another kiss for good measure. When their arms started to wrap around each other again, Stacie interjected quickly, pulling Beca away and smiling a wide, false smile. “Okay then. Bye!”

“Wait!” Beca shouted, struggling to get her own phone out of her pocket whilst Stacie rolled her eyes in impatience. “Give me your number.”

“Okay.” Chloe smiled vacantly, eyes blinking out of sequence with each other as she patiently waited for Beca to hand over her phone.

“Oh, shit! My battery died.” Beca announced needlessly in response to the undeniable blackness of her phone screen, patting it a couple of times for good measure as if it were actually just sleeping.

“Maybe we didn’t put it on standby after we IMDB’ed Up?” Chloe offered with a shrug and Beca nodded absentmindedly. “It’s fine. I’ve got your number anyway.” Chloe smiled reassuringly as she leaned down again, letting their lips touch slightly before speaking again. “I’ll call you tomorrow and you can tell me all about work. Maybe we can even meet up for breakfast?” Chloe offered, biting her lip and Stacie scoffed.

 _‘If Beca wasn’t already head over tits in love with this girl, the mention of breakfast would be the final nail in the proverbial coffin.’_ Stacie thought to herself tersely.

Beca raised her hands to her cheeks and looked like one of her mixes just got played on MTV. “I love breakfast!” She announced, awe in her voice, as if ‘How could Chloe have possibly known that I like food? She’s perfect!’

By now, every word out of Chloe’s mouth just seemed to be setting Beca up for more and more disappointment in Stacie’s eyes so she was eager to get the brunette away quickly. “So-”

“One sec…” Beca interrupted yet again and Stacie snapped.

“No, Beca! Jesus Christ! Luke is going to kill you! We are late! We’re already going to have to catch a cab to make it back in time!” Stacie lamented, willing Beca to understand the direness of their situation.

“One. Second.” Beca repeated sternly, holding up a single finger and looking at Stacie evenly, her face the most composed that it had been since they had entered the bar.

Stacie huffed but silently conceded with a ‘hurry-it-up’ hand gesture.

Beca stepped up to Chloe again, smiling simply, eyes scanning her up and down quickly as if trying to commit her to memory. “I really like you, Chlo.” Beca confessed, pink tinging her cheeks in a rare flush. Chloe smiled prettily at that, so innocently that Stacie hoped it was genuine. “I’m really glad I met you. Will you…you’ll call me right?” Beca asked, sounding small and vulnerable.

Chloe nodded emphatically, too emphatically for Stacie’s liking. “Totes.” She smiled, hiccoughing again and for some reason, Stacie’s stomach plummeted at the word even whilst Beca’s smile glowed brighter.

“Awes.” They both chuckled at that and Stacie felt like she were missing some sort of inside joke.

 _‘Which is ridiculous because four hours!_ Stacie rebuked silently.

“Okay.” Beca smiled and the tone screamed that she was building herself up to something. “I’m gone.” Beca nodded. Stacie was about to speak again when Beca, nearly hesitantly, pushed herself up onto her tiptoes to place a final kiss to Chloe’s lips.

Stacie actually felt like she was intruding watching this one; it was slow and reverent and intimate in a way that did not suit the locale or the situation. When Beca finally pulled away with a few parting pecks, Stacie nearly sighed in relief.

She had finally managed to begin steering Beca away when Chloe’s voice called to them again.

“Bec!” Her voice sounded over the music.

 _‘Will you ever let me leave?!’_ Stacie nearly tossed her head back and roared to the heavens.

Beca turned around instantly, smiling at the redhead with an expectant look on her face that turned a little slack when Chloe began unbuttoning her shirt. “You should take your shirt back.” Chloe announced, struggling with the whole two buttons that the girls had managed to secure between them.

“No.” Beca stopped her, stepping forward to still the other girl’s hands. “It’s cold. Keep it. It looks better on you anyway.” Beca grinned, securing another couple of buttons that were still out of sequence but at least kept Chloe’s chest from being on display now.

“Okay, bye!” Stacie shouted, not willing to be deterred anymore as she firmly steered Beca away, ignoring the emphatic waving going on over her head.

“Bye, Carl!” Chloe shouted with a giggle, making Beca chuckle in response.

 _‘What the fuck?’_ Stacie thought to herself, bemused. _‘I get that it’s easy to forget someone’s name on a night out but you should at least be able to take a punt in the right gender category.’_

She finally got Beca outside into the now much milder Atlantan evening and saw Beca under the street lamp for the hot mess she truly was. Her hair was half out of its elaborate braids, Stacie presumed from Chloe’s roaming fingers, her makeup was smeared and she had a large stain down her tank top ( _‘Wait! **My** tank top. Shit!’_ ); to top it off she smelled like late-nineties Robert Downey Jnr. “Goddamn, Beca! It’s a good thing Luke’s not gunna be at the station.”

Beca could only laugh as she braced her hands on her knees, looking like she was struggling to keep the world on its correct axis. “I need food.” She announced, lips smacking together loudly again. _‘Attractive, B.’_ Stacie rolled her eyes.

“Come on. Back to campus and I’ll get a pizza delivered.” Stacie announced. Beca was only able to hum in response.

A cab suddenly pulled up, ejecting a blonde passenger and Stacie hurried forward, knowing that they _needed_ a cab to pull this off. “Taxi!” She yelled, raising an arm over her head as she hooked the other one around Beca’s waist, pulling her forward.

As they got to the door of the cab the blonde woman that had been paying the driver turned suddenly, expression pissed, and slammed right into Beca who was too drunk to confirm with any sort of confidence what city she was in, let alone know what was happening. “Drunken Ding-a-Lings.” Blondie muttered under her breath and brushed passed them without so much as an apology.

“Seriously?!” Stacie yelled after her, holding up her hands in the gesture that accompanied the words, even more annoyed when the girl merely turned back to them, let her green eyes slide up and down them both once before turning away with a look that was decidedly unimpressed. Stacie was so riled and at any other time would have chased it up further but Beca chose that moment to slump slightly and Stacie knew that an education in civility to an obnoxious blonde did not supersede her mission with Beca. Stacie took a deep breath, put her game face on before leaning through the passenger window, letting her cleavage show just enough to ensure that the driver would take the clearly wasted Freshman and her aggravated protector back to campus.

*~*~*

It hadn’t been easy but Stacie had successfully managed to get Beca back to campus, rummage through all the pockets on her slumped form to find the station keys, get a whole pot of the strongest coffee Stacie had ever brewed down her throat and a large pizza delivered and consumed, all before the show began. Beca was still trashed when she went on the air but at least she had stopped slurring. Stacie and Beca both had just been thankful that Sober-Beca had been so obsessed with doing a good job on her first hosting segment that she had already been in that day to get everything queued up and ready to go; what was left to do was simple enough for layman Stacie and inebriated Beca to accomplish between them.

Late the next afternoon, Stacie came back to their room to see Beca still slumped in bed, sheets thrown over her head, curtains drawn and a thankfully empty sick bowl on her nightstand next to her. Stacie cautiously stepped in, hesitating when she heard Beca let out a loud, tortured groan. “Becs?”

“Ugh.” Was her articulated reply.

“I have Burger King.” Stacie sang, holding up the bag in front of her like a shield.

“Ugh.” Came again but somehow managed to sound more positive than the first so Stacie approached more confidently now, throwing the bag down on top of the blanket that she knew rested over Beca’s face, biting down her chuckle at the huff it got from the other girl.

“Oh my god. Like…what did I even drink, Man? Ethanol?” Beca asked as she struggled to sit up on her bed, pushing the duvet away and clawing the bag closer, looking like she was hyperventilating as she inhaled the smells directly from it with a satisfied groan.

Stacie threw herself down on her own bed and continued to sip her small milkshake as she observed her dorm mate. “You could have for all I know. You were unsupervised for a full four hours after all.” She teased lightly, the both of them seeing the added humour in the fact that it was normally Stacie who needed Beca’s supervision.

Beca’s response was a small chuckle before her face crumpled in pain at the echoing boom it likely made within her own head, proceeding to cram a handful of fries in her mouth with a pleased moan.

“So, any phone calls this morning, Playa’?” Stacie asked hesitantly but thinking that ripping the band aid was the best approach for this.

Beca just shook her head but didn’t look too concerned about it. “No, not yet. But, I mean, like, isn’t there some sort of forty-eight hour rule or something?” Beca answered as she pulled the Steakhouse burger out of its wrapping.

“Yeah…” Stacie drew out, chewing on her straw, deciding not to remind Beca of the previously discussed breakfast plans, gathering from a brief conversation that morning that her memory of the night was somewhat spotty. “I guess _she’d_ know the rules for stuff like that.” Stacie offered, not knowing what else to say.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Beca asked, an edge to her voice as she lowered the food from her mouth, hunger forgotten suddenly.

“Don’t go all Mad-Mitch on me. I’m just saying she seemed like a confident girl, friendly; it’s probably not the first time she’s been given a number at a bar.” Stacie smoothed over, speaking evenly to counteract Beca’s ire.

“You seem to be casting aspersions there.” Beca accused, her face displeased as she crossed her arms defensively on Chloe’s behalf.

“She was a shrinking wall-flower then?” Stacie mocked back, knowing that it was not the case.

Beca bit her lip and glared down at her burger but said nothing more.

They sat in a silence for a while, the only sounds filling the room was the sucking sound from Stacie’s straw and Beca’s chewing. Stacie was now regretting her words, seeing Beca analysing them in her head, her previous confidence gone. “Look, I didn’t mean to-” Stacie started, not really knowing what she was apologising for but unable to abide the look on Beca’s face all the same.

“It’s cool.” Beca nodded, swallowing thickly. “I should have…you’re right. She…she was way better at the whole flirting thing than me.” Beca finished lamely

“Like that's hard?” Stacie joked with a slight chuckle though Beca's returning smile didn't even last a full second. “She seemed nice though.” Stacie offered. “Maybe you shouldn’t be as cynical as me. She said she’d call, right?” Stacie offered finally, not knowing if the encouragement was going to cause more harm than good in the long run but she’d deal with that when the time comes, when Beca’s not hungover, in pain and vulnerable.

“That’s the first time anyone has claimed to be _more_ cynical than me.” Beca smirked this time and Stacie returned it immediately, awkwardness forgotten.

“That’s why we’re a good pair.” Stacie answered smugly as she threw herself back on the bed, watching Beca devour her first burger and then the second.

*~*~*

Stacie weaved her way between the tables of the cafeteria, making her way towards her dorm mate after a long morning of fruitless job hunting. It had been nearly a week since Pride and, no matter what the shorter girl said, she was moping. She hadn’t heard off of her redhead yet and though she had remained optimistic at first, it seemed like the penny had finally dropped for her now though she still checked her phone more than she ever did before.

It’s what she was doing as Stacie sat down in fact; staring at her phone forlornly but trying to hide it as soon as she saw Stacie’s approach. The number of times that Stacie had found outgoing calls to Beca’s cell from her own in the last week that Stacie herself hadn't made, presumably Beca’s attempt to confirm that her phone was still receiving incoming calls, was truthfully starting to get a little sad though Stacie didn’t know whether she should pass comment on it or not.

The tall girl took a seat next to Beca and after an easy greeting they chatted absently for a few moments, talking about nothing and everything as per usual until Beca jumped a mile when a phone rang but fell back to earth sharply when she realised it was coming from the table behind them. “Nothing then?” Stacie asked somewhat mootly, not needing to clarify the question any more than that as she helped herself to handful of popcorn from the bag sat open in front of the shorter girl. Beca merely shook her head morosely, trying to put a brave smile on for her friend though it ended up as more of a grimace. “Well, I mean, you said you’d seen her on the BU float earlier in the day right? That probably means she goes here. We could probably ask around-” Stacie offered, watching as Beca sat up straighter, wrapping her arms around herself as she began to resolutely shake her head.

“I think I’ve been given the brush-off, Dude.” Beca scoffed, laying her phone face down on the table with a sweeping sense of finality. “I don’t want to make this anymore drawn out and pitiful than it’s already been.” She laughed wryly before letting the silence settle over them both. “It was stupid anyway.” Beca announced, shaking her head softly at herself with an edge of acceptance and Stacie knew that she would not like the words that were about to follow. “I mean, she was really…just…wow. And I’m so…meh. Beer goggles have to wear of at some point, right?” She finished sardonically, flicking a loose crumb off of the table idly.

“Rebeca, shut the fuck up or I’m going to kick you in the vagina.” Stacie warned as she grabbed a handful of Beca’s popcorn and threw it on her unceremoniously. Beca huffed out a small, unenthused laugh tossing her head back to shake the food off of her but did as instructed and the lack of fight made Stacie even sadder for her friend. _‘I normally **at least** get a glare for calling her Rebeca.’_ Stacie thought to herself worriedly. The engineer sat there and fumed silently for a long moment, studying her friend with concern before suddenly slamming a hand down on the table between them, causing Beca to jump and the few people sat around them to stare. “I’m sorry.” Stacie offered at Beca’s questioning stare. “It’s just…people talk shit about me and what I’m like but _I’m_ upfront with my intentions from the get go. I don’t bullshit and fabricate. I’m honest with people!” Stacie implored passionately, holding a hand to her chest as she spoke.

“Sometimes to a fault.” Beca smirked, patting Stacie’s knee with the side of her foot, encouraging the taller girl to meet her gaze so that she could see the mirth there.

Stacie scoffed out a laugh, smirking her typical smirk at Beca before nodding her head, allowing her friend that concession. “So, Luke back in town yet?”

“Yeah.” Beca answered tightly, fiddling with the bottle top sitting on the table in front of her. “He listened to the show. I don’t know _how_ he listened to the show; he was out of state for Christ’s sake.” Beca bemoaned, bringing the plastic to her mouth to chew while she contemplated and theorised over his magical ability to contort the radio waves in such a way.

“And?” Stacie hesitated, thinking it would be a miracle if they had actually pulled it off and gotten away with it all scott-free.

“He…suspects something was off but my music choices were solid so there was little he could say. I wasn’t slurring so I just told him I was kind of doing a character? Like the wasted College DJ was a ‘bit’ I was doing?” Beca laughed, shaking her head in disbelief.

“And he bought that?” Stacie queried with uncertainty, the laughter rushing from her chest like a geyser.

“Oh, not at all.” Beca denied and they both laughed together this time. When Stacie stopped, she stole a generous sip of Beca’s Dr Pepper ( _‘Free calories!’_ ) before Beca continued. “But he can’t really _prove_ it and it’s me or Jesse to be left in charge on the rare occasion that he’s away so what else is he gunna do?” Beca laughed, throwing the now demolished hunk of plastic back down onto the table.

 _‘People who’ve never had braces do **not** adequately respect their teeth.’_ Stacie critiqued internally, shaking her head in disgust at the genetic lottery that was perfect teeth that Beca Mitchell dismissed so callously.

“He’s even gunna leave me in charge again this Saturday.” Beca offered with a small smile and a shrug, clearly pleased yet still surprised at the development herself.

“Wow…” Stacie drawled, impressed, bracing her jaw on her hand as she stared across the table at her friend, glad that _this_ was going right for her even if nothing else was.

“I know. He’s got a hot date; must be someone special whoever it is.” Beca commented. “There was one stipulation though.” Beca drew out, looking at Stacie mischievously.

“Oh?”

“‘No characters, Becky!’” Beca laughed as she imitated Luke’s English accent horrendously and Stacie kicked her feet up onto Beca’s lap as she threw her head back and laughed.

*~*~*

“Shit! Late, late, late!” Stacie chanted to herself as she ran across the quad to her job interview. _‘What is a weakness of yours, Ms Conrad? **Punctuality!** ’_ Stacie thought sardonically as she came around the corner of Wiseman Hall, skidding slightly in the cardio-inappropriate sandals she wore.

She could see the coffee shop in the distance when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, a distinctive shade of red fifty yards or so to her right.

The girl attached to the colour turned and laughed at something the blonde next to her said and Stacie could see instantly that it was Chloe.

“Son of a…” Stacie fumed under her breath, coming to a violent stop, the momentum making her body lurch to a stop. She was panting lightly, her head swivelling from left to right, the coffee shop to the redhead, business life to personal life.

 _‘Decision made.’_ Stacie thought to herself resolutely with little to no hesitation.

“Hey!” Stacie shouted, turning her body and taking off at a run again. “HEY!” She yelled again when she got a bit closer, causing Chloe and the blonde to turn, as well as everyone else in the immediate vicinity.

“Umm…Hello?” Chloe smiled at Stacie in amusement with no spark of recognition in her bright blue eyes, clearly having no idea who the tall brunette was.

“You know what I don’t get?” Stacie steamrolled without returning the greeting, closing the final yards between them with less than grateful stomps before stopping a foot away from the girls, fists clenched and posture rigid. “People like you.” Chloe’s eyes widened at the ferocity of her tone and the blonde stepped between the two of them defensively.

“Excuse you?” She asked with a stiff stance and a raised eyebrow, eying Stacie with an instantly matched level of anger.

“Back off, Cersei! This is nothing to do with you.” Stacie barked as she looked into the blonde’s heated, emerald stare, the girl sparking some sort of recognition for Stacie for half a second but the brunette was too pissed at Chloe to spare it any real thought at that moment.

“Huh?” The blonde’s face suddenly dropped its ire and morphed into one of confusion at the barb.

“Aubrey.” Chloe warned, resting a hand on the blonde’s arm to pull her back slightly, face drawn tight in agitation at the possibility that the two girls could come to blows at any second if things didn’t calm down quickly.

Chloe and Aubrey were stood side-by-side again now and Stacie was facing the redhead, her spine maintaining its tensed positioned as her irritation and wrath continued to flow through her. “I don’t _get_ people who make false promises. You didn’t owe her anything. When she asked you if you were going to call, that would have been your golden opportunity to be honest, to _not_ be a coward, to grow some fucking lady-balls and say, ‘You’re cute but I’m not looking for anything past tonight.’ It’s bold but fucking true at least!” Stacie spat, her face creased with her disdain.

“I’m sorry, I just _really_ have no idea what you’re talking about.” Chloe offered with uncertainty, holding her hand up to her chest as her face fell in sympathetic confusion.

“Beca!” Stacie snapped again, getting more pissed with every breath she took. “How many people do you fucking do this to if you can’t even figure out who the hell I’m talking about?!” Stacie snarled out, anger reaching new levels to the point that she could feel her ears growing hot.

“Beca?” Chloe asked softly, eyes getting wide and hopeful which confused Stacie to no end. Chloe seemed to struggle with her words for a moment before realisation crested over her face. “Your Beca’s friend. Uh…Stacie, right?”

“Yes,” Stacie confirmed before bracing her hands on her hips self-righteously, “and I’m surprised you remembered Beca’s name, let alone mine.” Stacie flung at the redhead in annoyance.

Chloe huffed out a breath and clawed a hand through her hair in agitation as she tried to gather her thoughts though her friend gathered herself before the redhead did. “The genius girl that can’t count?” The blonde, Aubrey, asked Chloe snidely, her hands clenched into fists at her sides with the effort of trying to hold back during the other girls’ back and forth.

Stacie took a breath and was about to chew the girl out for whatever that insult was meant to mean (because, either way, it was definitely meant an insult and you **do not** insult Beca Mitchell in front of Stacie Conrad and get away with it) when Chloe interrupted, stepping between the two of them before they could start on each other again. “Wait, just wait a minute.” She demanded tersely, holding up her hands and waving them around in anxiety. “You’re saying that Beca’s been waiting for me to call her?” Chloe asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion like a lost puppy.

“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock! Of course she’s been waiting for you to call her! What else would you do when you give someone your number?!” Stacie barked back, hackles rising yet again.

“Hold up, Legs-For-Days!” Aubrey stepped forward again, wagging a finger in Stacie’s face while the brunette was distracted enough by her strange choice of insult ( _‘Is it meant to be an insult? The tone suggests it was **meant** to be one.’_ ) to do just that. “If _your_ girl is so goddamn heartbroken that she hasn’t gotten a call from mine then maybe she should have taken enough care to put the right goddamn digits into her phone.” Aubrey chided with distinct irritation, cocking her head and widening her eyes simultaneously to non-verbally declare, ‘duh!’

“What, you’re saying that Beca gave you the wrong number?” Stacie retorted, crossing her arms while her expression contorted to one of superior disbelief.

“Unless there actually _are_ eleven digits in her number?” Aubrey replied snidely, looking Stacie up and down in a way that Stacie couldn’t decide was disdainful or appraising but all the same made Stacie realise suddenly where she knew her from.

“You! You’re that girl from the cab!” Stacie accused, pointing a finger at Aubrey’s chest which she promptly slapped away, clearly not willing to take Stacie’s heat the way that Chloe was. Stacie smirked to herself, pleased to have finally figured out the connection. “To you, again, I say Cersei!” Stacie spat accusingly.

“What the hell is a ‘Cersei’?!” Aubrey shrieked, stomping her foot before turning to Chloe for an explanation.

 _ **‘Never trust someone who doesn’t get a Game of Thrones reference.’**_ Jesse’s words floated through her head suddenly and Stacie though that truer words had never been spoken as she narrowed her eyes at the blonde again. 

“Seriously Bree, have you been living under a rock?” Chloe questioned, cocking her head to the side dubiously though her expression was fond all the same.

Aubrey gritted her teeth as she looked to Stacie again and seemed to have her own spark of recognition at the comment about the cab, jogging some sort of realisation for her too. “Hold it! That little mess of a midget you had to throw into the cab was Beca?” She spun to look at Chloe again, shaking her golden head in disgust. “Oh, Chloe.” She lamented, looking a little ill now and more than a little put out that her memory of Beca was the cause for all of this excitement, which _she_ clearly deemed to be unworthy.

“She’s not a midget, Aubrey.” Chloe argued, looking slightly miffed for the first time since Stacie had approached them, proverbial guns blazing. “She’s just…pocket-sized. And adorable, so lay off.” Chloe warned softly but it sounded more like a whine, the girl seemingly unused to giving the blonde commands but attempting to do so in this case all the same.

Stacie bobbed on her left foot slightly as she looked over the two of them, trying to decide if this was a lie being concocted to cover their asses from the wall of raging brunette that had just stampeded through them. “Show me your phone?” Stacie asked with a significantly softer voice now, holding out her hand for the phone expectantly.

Chloe suddenly lifted her obnoxiously large bag and forced into Aubrey’s arms without warning, ignoring the unexpected grunt from the blonde at the weight, as she began to rummage desperately through the bag for her cell. When she finally located it, holding it up with a triumphant ‘A-ha!’, her fingers danced over the screen eagerly to locate the entry from Beca and handed it to the brunette for her inspection.

**Fredrickson xxxxxxxxxzzxzzcz  
678-778-93460**

Stacie sighed and shook her head at the screen, disbelieving that Beca’s drunken fingers had gotten them into this whole situation. “It’s supposed to be 779; Beca and her fat fingers.” Stacie swore as her own thumbs edited the entry to become accurate, choosing not to comment on the bizarre name on the screen.

“Her fingers are perfect.” Chloe chided with a contended sigh, flushing suddenly under Aubrey’s disgusted eye roll. “Not like that…” She muttered defensively as she looked back to Stacie, smiling as she took her phone back from her and clutched the cell to her chest as if the brunette had just given her the keys to a new Porche. “This is…I did wonder, you know…she seemed…it felt like we were, like…but then with the wrong number and everything…so I kind of doubted it all. It’s happened a few times now. Bree says I get too attached too easily. And I have taste worse than Perez Hilton. I tried a few combinations, taking out different numbers, didn’t I Bree? I got to speak to some really nice people…found an amazing Thai place that delivers...but no Beca.” Chloe rambled awkwardly and with each word she spoke, the flustered redhead managed to make Stacie feel even more like shit.

“So, are you going to apologise for your supremely incorrect insinuation now?!” Aubrey asked hotly, hands braced on her hips, drawing Stacie’s gaze downwards without her meaning to.

“Bree, it’s fine.” Chloe soothed with a gentle hand to Aubrey’s shoulder. The blonde tilted her head, murder still alight in her eyes with an expression than broadcasted, ‘It sure as hell is not fine!’ “Stacie was just being a good friend to Beca; she was acting off of the information _she_ had just like _you_ were when you called Beca every name under the sun this week.” Chloe defended with an eyebrow raise at her friend. Aubrey responded with an eyebrow raise of her own which was decidedly more cynical than her friend’s, crossing her arms but saying nothing more.

“So, I guess I’ll call her now? I should call her now, right? Is she mad at me? How mad is she?” Chloe rattled off quickly, the words blurring together, agitation building and eyes getting wider as each second passed.

“She’s not mad.” Stacie smoothed over, sighing as she scratched her head somewhat bashfully, avoiding looking at either of them. “Just…resigned. And disappointed. She’s convinced herself that she was punching above her weight class just by talking to you.” Stacie confessed before she could stop herself, for the first time confident that Chloe would not misuse such information.

“That’s silly!” Chloe burst out indignantly before looking down at her phone fondly as if it was Beca herself. “Silly, adorable creature.” She cooed softly, thumbs dancing over the screen in preparation to make the call when suddenly an idea sparked in Stacie’s mind.

“Wait!” She called out, resting a perfectly manicured hand over Chloe’s to stop her actions.

“Wait?” Chloe queried in confusion, looking up at Stacie in bemusement.

“Seriously? You chased us across campus and screamed in her face for _not_ calling your friend and now she tries to and you’re stopping her?” Aubrey asked, perplexed and sardonic. _‘Winning combination, Blondie.’_ Stacie thought to herself in irritation.

“I’m saying, we’ve all waited a week; what’s a couple of hours more to do it right?” Stacie grinned. Benji called it her ‘Slytherin Smirk’ and she knew that the other boy was 97% terrified whenever he saw it on her face. “Give me your cell again? I wanna’ put one more number in there…”

*~*~*

**_“You’re listening to Happy Hour on WBDR 97.1 with DJ Meca Bitchell. It’s our final song of the night so chug another PBR, since that’s all us lowly college students can afford, take a glance around whatever Frat Party you’re at and survey your options, giving each person a score on a scale of 1 to 10 of how much you’ll hate yourself if you wake up to them in the morning, 1 being ‘I’d do it sober’, 10 being ‘I’m unenrolling first thing Monday’. While you take stock of your life, we’re going to end the evening with a personal favourite of mine, Mr David Guetta.”_ **

Beca drawled into the microphone before queuing up the last song of her set, sighing in relief that she had made it through without any hiccoughs, knowing that Luke would undoubtedly be listening for her ‘Character’, Drunken Jill. _‘Why the fuck did I have to name her? And the why the fuck did I pick Jill? Is my **‘character’** fucking forty?’_ Beca sighed, cricking her neck and stretching her body out to wake up her aching joints, idly debating what takeout to get on the way back to her dorm. She was picking up her phone to text Stacie to see if she wanted anything since she hadn’t seen her all day and didn’t know what her plans were for tonight when the focus of her thoughts walked into the booth.

“Hey, Hey. DJB!” Stacie sang as she strutted in like she owned the place.

“Stace! What the fuck are you doing here?” Beca shrieked, sweeping her feet off of the desk as well as half of its contents in her shock. “Seriously dude? Me nearly getting fired once this month not enough of a thrill ride for you?” She asked in sheer disbelief, casting her wide-eyed gaze across the room as if Luke would suddenly appear from a dark corner like some ghostly spectre, screaming “Sacked!” at the top of his lungs and pointing an accusatory finger at his protégé.

“No, it’s cool. I got permission from Luke and everything!” Stacie soothed, holding up her hands in a gesture that told Beca to mellow out.

“I don’t believe that for even the briefest of moments.” Beca replied firmly, putting her hands on Stacie’s hips and trying to banish her from the booth forcefully.

“Dude, seriously.” Stacie laughed, digging her heels in, planting herself to the floor and proving herself an immovable object to Beca’s very stoppable force. “Aubrey knows him and he okayed me coming here when she asked. Ran the whole thing by him.”

“What ‘thing’?! And who the wichetty fuck is Aubrey?! Oh wait, I DON’T CARE! Leave!” Beca barked, now charging Stacie in the stomach with her shoulder, herding her towards the door.

Before Beca could really comprehend how it had happened she was suddenly sat back in her seat with Stacie sat atop her, the taller girl restraining both of Beca’s hands with one of her own before she leant over the equipment and spoke into the mic as Titanium ended.

**_“Hey, hey, hey! Naval Engineering hottie Stacie Conrad here, introducing a new segment, ‘Cry Me A River, Dickface’ with our own very empathetic and caring Agony Aunt, DJ Bitchell.”_ **

“Dude!” Beca balked loudly and when Stacie turned to look at her, the DJ’s navy blue eyes screamed betrayal.

 ** _“We’ll only be having one caller tonight; we don’t want you to drown in the feels our Pygmy Spinner is about to deliver.”_** Stacie announced exuberantly, smiling at Beca over her shoulder teasingly

Beca’s eyes had switched from betrayal to murder rather quickly and Stacie hoped she survived long enough to see this plan reach its conclusion. Beca watched as Stacie connected a call that was flashing up on the phone and Beca struggled further to stop whatever the other girl was planning that would no doubt be at her expense though to no avail.

 ** _“Hello, Caller. You are on the air! What’s your name?”_** Stacie greeted happily.

 ** _“Hi! You can call me Ellie.”_** A light airy voice sang back and Beca couldn’t believe that this was actually happening, that her segment was getting hijacked by a psychotic hot brunette.

 ** _“Well hello, Ellie! I’m going to put DJ Bitchell on and she’s going to help solve all of your life problems.”_** Stacie announced confidently. When Beca shook her head in response, expression clearly illustrating that she was systematically plotting Stacie’s demise the other girl leant into the mic again. **_“Either that or we’ll sit here all night.”_** Stacie laughed like it was a joke but Beca read the threat plain as day for what it was; a promise.

Beca sighed heavily, biting her lip in aggravation before she leant forward at the same time that Stacie lifted the mic to her mouth.

 ** _“Hey, Ellie.”_** Beca started, staring daggers at Stacie who just continued to beam back at her, completely and totally unconcerned at the shorter girls ire. **_“So, I’ve never done this before but if you tell me what’s up I’ll…you know…take a whack at it or whatever.”_**

 ** _“Such elegance!”_** Stacie pulled the mic back to comment for everyone’s benefit.

 ** _“Shut up!”_** Beca retorted without missing a beat. **_“Go ahead, Ellie.”_** Beca encouraged softly, trying valiantly not to let her irritation with the brunette seep into her tone.

 ** _“Hey, DJB. So my dilemma is this; I meet this smoking hot girl at Pride the other week and it goes really well but then she’s got to run off like Cinderella or something before the end of the night to get to work._** The girl starts and Beca’s eyes widen as she begins to recognises both the story and the musical voice telling it. **_“Which is, like, totally cool; I dig that she’s so super responsible. Anyway, she gives me her number and I tell her I’ll call but then when I go to the next morning, intending to buy her a stack of pancakes as big as she his (which is probably, like, at least four ‘cause she’s super adorable-tiny), turns out she’s given me the wrong number. At first I thought it was intentional? Like, a kinda mean brush off but then I get accosted by her friend on campus for not calling so I guess it’s all, like, some super comedy of errors. Anyway, so now I have the right number but it’s been a week and she thinks I bailed on her. So, my question is, should I call her? Do you think she’ll forgive me?”_** The voice dancing through the speakers ended the tale somewhat uncertainly with the question.

Beca fidgeted in her seat slightly, readjusting herself as she tried to formulate words and that’s when she realised that Stacie was now leaning against the desk on the other side of the room, looking to Beca with a small, happy smile on her face. Beca coughed slightly before leaning in to speak into the mic again.

**_“Well, Chloe...”_ **

**_“Ellie.”_** The voice corrected and Beca smiled to herself, biting her lip to prevent a laugh from escaping and getting picked up by the mic.

 ** _“Uh…right. Ellie. I think that…”_** Beca started, swallowing thickly before she could continue. **_“…you should totally call her. She’s not gunna be mad once you explain it all like you just did for me. She’s just gunna be, like, super excited that you called at all…at least if she’s worth your time.”_** Beca ended softly, not completely convinced that this was actually happening but hoping vehemently that it was all the same. **_“Besides, if she’s pissed, just tell her she’s a dumbass for giving you the wrong number in the first place and that should shut her up pretty damn quickly.”_** Beca finished on a joke (because it was Beca and she _had_ to divert extreme emotionally charged situations with humour in any and all given circumstances).

Somewhere, not too far away, Aubrey was sat listening and nodded her agreement at Beca’s sentiment, grudgingly giving the brunette her dues.

A musical laugh echoed out from Beca’s headphones, filling her brain with the cadence of it and the DJ felt like she could exist suspended in its vibrations and melody forever. **_“Thanks for the advice…”_** Chloe offered before a tentative knock on the window in front of her grabbed Beca’s attention. She looked up in surprise to see Chloe stood in the flesh on the other side of the glass, smiling shyly with a cell phone pressed to her ear, hand raised in small, uncertain wave. **_“…I think I’ll do that.”_** Beca heard and saw the words simultaneously.

The DJ smiled somewhat sheepishly in return, disbelief still hanging like a dark cloud in the back of her brain, making her brain feel slightly foggy before she felt Stacie pull her to her feet, remove the headphones from Beca’s head before pushing her harshly towards the door with a loudly whispered, “Go get your girl!”

She idly registered Stacie take over the mic again as she seemed to walk in slow motion towards Chloe. She had convinced herself that she had somewhat exaggerated the redhead’s beauty in her inebriated state but as she stood in front of her now, red hair flowing in waves around her shoulders, sapphire blue eyes sparkling in excitement and hands wringing in front of her nervously as she waited for Beca to approach, Beca thought that her drunken mind had actually been unable to comprehend the true scope of the beauty that was Chloe and that her memory hadn’t done the other girl justice at all. The brunette smiled widely at the redhead, biting her lip in a failing attempt to taper down her grin as she finally came to a stop in front of her, excited to fully explore everything that was Chloe for herself.

**_“And there you have it, Folks! DJB, the secret romantic, saving hearts and championing true love like the little, tiny romantic that she is. That concludes our regularly scheduled programming so ‘til next time, stay sexy Barden!”_ **

**Author's Note:**

> All reads, comments and kudos' are greatly appreciated!
> 
> Thanks y'all!
> 
>  
> 
> _Tumblr: welshcakes68_
> 
>  
> 
> *WC68*


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